Castro: a master statesman
To the editor:
Having read with interest the article “Local Author Coyle attends the Havana Book Fair,” I feel I must make a comment. First, Gretchen Coyle and her husband John are old friends of mine. Gretchen and I talked at length before she went to Havana to research her book “Inferno at Sea” about the sinking of the steamship Morro Castle off the New Jersey coast in 1934.
The subject I want to note here is more about history than anything else, and I think that Gretchen will agree with me. As much as I dislike Fidel Castro, whom I knew when we were both students at the University of Havana, I have to say that he will go down in history as probably the second greatest statesman of the 20th century – only Churchill was tougher and defeated a far more dangerous enemy.
Not only has Fidel survived as absolute dictator of Cuba for 56 years, but he and his brother Raul have now, incredibly, managed to get President Obama to accept them, recognize their self-avowed Communist government, and in effect say, “The United States was wrong and I’m going to make it right. All is forgiven and we hereby legitimize your government.”
Notice in Gretchen’s article where she says, “Part of the book fair takes place in the old prison where the Castro brothers executed and imprisoned a number of people that were part of the Batista regime.” In reality, most of these people were not part of Batista’s regime; they were young Cubans who, realizing Castro intended to impose a Communist system, started fighting it early in the game. Castro did execute some of Batista’s people, but these were few. By this time, most had already fled Cuba.
The really important point here is the meaning of the selection of this venue for the book fair. There are probably hundreds of places in Cuba where the fair could have been just as successful, but look at the clear implication here: Fidel has manipulated half a million book lovers into touring and admiring the very prison where he executed so many freedom fighters. The irony here is palpable.
How masterfully Fidel has manipulated most of the Free World for all these years. It’s absolutely fantastic.
Augusto (Kiko) Villalon
St. James City